Learn the Issues

Opioid prescription rates for dentists are higher than any other specialty. These prescription opioids—the amount in the public arena and their addictive characteristics—have been attributed as a major cause of the opioid epidemic. With more than 12% of all opioid prescriptions coming out of dentists’ offices, dental patients have had the opportunity to amass inventories…

One of the insidious components of the opioid crisis is the abundance of the drugs available to the public, and the relative ease some have found in procuring them. One common tactic patients use to obtain these opioids is to make diagnostic appointments for chronic pain issues, agree to a follow up appointment, and then…

Historically, addiction has been a diagnosis without definitive treatment. Success rates for rehabilitation prove to be low and inconclusive, and the ongoing stigma further complicates treatment for those with opioid use disorder (OUD). The development of treatment of other physical health concerns and events—from pain management to anesthesia—employ the use of opioids, and this unaligned…

The opioid epidemic has devastated American communities, bringing public attention to addiction like never before. But addiction isn’t new–and unfortunately, neither is the way many health systems treat it. Stigma and the view that addiction is somehow a moral failing are deep-rooted challenges in care, as is the failure to recognize the impact that opioids can…